Chalk-trough.



No. 846,667.. PATBNTED MAR.'12, 1907.

' c. A. HESS,

CHALK TROUG'H. APPLIOATION FILED JULYQ. 190B.

CHRISTOPHER A. HESS, OF BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA.

CHALK-THOUGH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 12, 1907.

. Application filed July 2, 1906. Serial Nor 324,414.

To all whom it, may concern: 7

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER A. IIEss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bismarck, in the county of Burleigh and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chalk- Troughs; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in chalk-troughs for blackboards.

The object of the invention is to provide a trough of this character adapted to be removably supported at the lower edge of a blackboard to catch the chalk-dust falling therefrom, means being provided whereby the chalk and erasers may be supported or held out of the dust accumulated in the trough and means whereby the erasers may be cleaned after use.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a portion of a blackboard, showing the application of the invention thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View of the same, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the trough.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the trough, which may be of any desired shape and constructed of any suitable material, the same being here shown and is preferably curved or semicylindrical in shape and is formed of galvanized iron or other non-corrosive metal. The trough 1 is preferably formed in a series of sections of suitable length, the ends of which are adapted to overlap to form a continuous trough, which is supported upon suitable brackets 2 in such manner as to permit the sections of the trough to be taken down and the chalkdust accumulated therein removed.

The outer edge of the trough is preferably bent into the form of a roll or bead 3 by first extending it laterally in outward direction, then turning it inwardly and bending it under to form a screen-clamp and chalk-holder to prevent the chalk from rolling off the 'screen, while the inner edge of the trough is bent inwardly to form a seam 4, in which is adapted to be secured the inner edge of'a I through the trough, but which are not large enough to allow pieces of chalk large enough for use to pass through, thereby supporting the chalk and holding the same out of the dust in the bottom of the trough. The screen 5 is adapted to support the blackboard-erasers when not in use, thereby keep ing the same out of engagement with the chalk-dust. means whereby the erasers may be cleaned after use by rubbing the working faces of the same over the wire screen or tapping the erasers upon the same, the dust being thereby shaken or rubbed out of the erasers and falling through the screen into the trough.

By providing a trough such as herein shown and described the erasers and chalk will be kept free from dust and the dust falling from the boards will be caught, thereby preventing the same from being knocked off on the flo or or blown around the room. The arrangement of the screen in the trough also provides a support for the erasers and chalk, upon which the same may be laid without the noise which is occasioned in the use of wooden troughs.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A chalk-trough formed of a series of sheet metal sections having overlapping ends and adapted to be removably supported at the lower edgeof the blackboard, wire screens arranged across said trough-sections and secured thereto, and means on the outer edge of the trough for preventing chalk or erasers from falling off said screens.

2. A chalk-trough comprising a sheet- The screen 5 also provides metal plate-bent to form a trough with one I In testimony whereof I have hereunto set edge thereof bent inwardly against the side my hand in presence of two subscribing Wit- IO E1111 therlelof and with its 1otherdedge extend; nesses.

e atera y and outward an then turne 5 inwardly and bent under to form a chalk- CHRISTOPHER HESS holder and screen-clamp, and a screen clamped between the bent edges of said trough.

Witnesses:

W. F. CooHRANE, CHAS. G; TAYLOR. 

